Translated by Putu Semiada
A R J A
The old Balinese people would like to preserve arja, but the young don’t. They don’t really care. They don’t even want to watch.
“I don’t really understand when I watch it, the language is not familiar with me, the story is very slow, and also it is all about old times, only about Kediri and Daha,” says I Madé Kiud Holywood (I Made Loves Holywood).
I Made is a modern young Balinese. He doesn’t understand about Jenggala and Singasari. But he does know about New York and Las Vegas. He thinks global. He has ‘Bali modern education’ who admires tourism and overseas. Everything traditional is out of date for him.
“You are really a bastard, you don’t respect our ancestors. If is not because of your ancestor, you would not exist in this world. If our ancestors didn’t inherit you what we have know, what would you sell to be able to look modern?” I Pekak Dangap-Dangap (I Pekak Slow Walk).
I Pekak is an old fashioned person, who thinks that old time is much better, and old thinking is the best. If you ask him to watch arja, shadow puppets, gambuh, he will be very happy. But if you ask him to watch television, he will be upset. He considers everything modern is not good.
“The young now don’t understand about life, do not know about Ramayana, Mahaberata and Panji, and the don’t have self-identity either,” he says.
Nobody wants to interfere between I Pekak and I Madé’s business. They both like Méga and SBY, no possible for dialog.
Both of them are right. If arja only talks about kings in the past, about power struggle and war for woman, and do not refer to situation that the Balinese are facing today, nobody will really care about the arja.
“If the arja remains like this, it will have no different with cinetron on TV. The earlier talks about kings, the later about rich people. They both talk about woman and inheritance. The difference is that the cinetron artists are very beautiful,” I Made says.
If the arja is extinct, then Balinese will loose another inheritance; something that can be used to remind the Balinese about old times.
“Why don’t we just create arja like I Madé wants which talk about DPT (Fixed Voter’s List), the hostility between Prabowo and SB, about problems in KPU (Indonesian Election Commission), I am sure that I Madé will love to preserve the arja,” says I Wayan Golput (I Wayan Abstain) who tries to be mediator.
Everybody claps their hands. They really expect somebody as mediator. Because it is only I Pekak who is good at making good tuak and it is I Made who often ‘treat’ them.
“Our people are very fond of and smart in talking but lazy in action. It has made everybody has been thirsty waiting for palm toddy,” says I Wayan.
